"but also the key to spiritual transcendence. Smiths drew their powers to forge a ""kris"" from the god of fire; and a smithy is considered as a shrine. Hindu-Javanese kingship was sometimes legitimated and empowered by the possession of a ""kris"". The elephant head figure with a crown in the smithy relief depicts Ganesha, the god who removes obstacles in Hinduism. The Ganesha figure, however, differs in some small respects with other usual depictions. Instead of sitting, the Ganesha figure in Candi Sukuh's relief is shown dancing and it has distinctive features including the exposed genitalia, the demonic physiognomy, the"
"form. The earliest Ganesha images are without a vahana (mount/vehicle). Of the eight incarnations of Ganesha described in the ""Mudgala Purana"", Ganesha uses a mouse (shrew) in five of them, a lion in his incarnation as ""Vakratunda"", a peacock in his incarnation as ""Vikata"", and Shesha, the divine serpent, in his incarnation as ""Vighnaraja"". ""Mohotkata"" uses a lion, """" uses a peacock, ""Dhumraketu"" uses a horse, and ""Gajanana"" uses a mouse, in the four incarnations of Ganesha listed in the ""Ganesha Purana"". Jain depictions of Ganesha show his vahana variously as a mouse, elephant, tortoise, ram, or peacock. Ganesha is"
"Adhi Vinayaka Adhi Vinayaka (also known as Nara Mukha Vinayaka; Sanskrit: अधि विनायक) is a form of the Hindu deity Ganesha (Vinayaka), which portrays Ganesha with a human head, prior to being decapitated by his father, Shiva. This specific form of Ganesha is rarely worshipped, with only few dedicated shrines, such as the one near Koothanur, Tamil Nadu. This form's most common name, Adhi Vinayaka, derives from the word ""adhi"", literally meaning ""primordial"" or ""ancient"". The secondary name Nara Mukha Vinayaka derives from the words ""nara"" (""human"") and ""mukha"" (""face""). ""Vinayaka"" is a common name for the deity Ganesha. The"
"Bala Ganapati Bala Ganapati (, , literally ""child Ganapati"") is an aspect of the Hindu god Ganesha (Ganapati), the elephant-headed of wisdom and fortune, depicted as a child. There are few portrayals of Ganesha as a small boy caressed by his parents, Parvati and Shiva. An infant Ganesha is also depicted held in his mother Parvati's lap or over her shoulder. Independent portrayals of Bala Ganapati depict as seated or crawling. A bronze from South India shows Ganesha as an infant crawling on his knees. He has four arms. While two of them hold sweet balls, his trunk holds his"
"Adhi Vinayaka phase of Ganesha was prior to the events of being decapitated by Shiva and obtaining the elephant or ""gaja"" head. In this phase, Ganesha resembles his brothers Ayyappan and Murugan. Adhi Vinayaka Adhi Vinayaka (also known as Nara Mukha Vinayaka; Sanskrit: अधि विनायक) is a form of the Hindu deity Ganesha (Vinayaka), which portrays Ganesha with a human head, prior to being decapitated by his father, Shiva. This specific form of Ganesha is rarely worshipped, with only few dedicated shrines, such as the one near Koothanur, Tamil Nadu. This form's most common name, Adhi Vinayaka, derives from the"
"the most important Hindu deities, the elephant-headed Ganesha, is ranked equal with the supreme gods Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma. Ganesha is associated with writers and merchants and it is believed that he can give people success as well as grant them their desires. In Buddhism, Buddha is said to have been a white elephant reincarnated as a human. According to Buddhist mythology, Gautama Buddha's mother, Maya, dreamt that a white elephant enter her womb. The astrologers of the king's court interpreted this dream as the impending birth of a great person who would either become a 'Chakravartin' (conqueror of the"
"Chintamani Temple, Theur The Chintamani Temple of Theur is a Hindu temple dedicated to Ganesha, the elephant-headed god of wisdom. Located from Pune, the temple is ""one of the larger and more famous"" of the Ashtavinayaka, the eight revered shrines of Ganesha in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The temple lore describes how Ganesha retrieved the wish-giving jewel Chintamani for his devotee, the sage Kapila from the greedy king Gana and how he pacifies the uneasy mind of the god Brahma, who meditated on him in Theur. The temple is associated with the Ganapatya saint Morya Gosavi (dated between 13th"
"some shrines in South India dedicated to Ganesha as a two-armed small boy, where he is known as Pillaiyar (""little child""). Bala Ganapati Bala Ganapati (, , literally ""child Ganapati"") is an aspect of the Hindu god Ganesha (Ganapati), the elephant-headed of wisdom and fortune, depicted as a child. There are few portrayals of Ganesha as a small boy caressed by his parents, Parvati and Shiva. An infant Ganesha is also depicted held in his mother Parvati's lap or over her shoulder. Independent portrayals of Bala Ganapati depict as seated or crawling. A bronze from South India shows Ganesha as"
"often shown riding on or attended by a mouse, shrew or rat. Martin-Dubost says that the rat began to appear as the principal vehicle in sculptures of Ganesha in central and western India during the 7th century; the rat was always placed close to his feet. The mouse as a mount first appears in written sources in the ""Matsya Purana"" and later in the ""Brahmananda Purana"" and ""Ganesha Purana"", where Ganesha uses it as his vehicle in his last incarnation. The Ganapati Atharvashirsa includes a meditation verse on Ganesha that describes the mouse appearing on his flag. The names '"
"is equivalent to the zodiacal sign of Capricorn (goat symbol). In Hindu iconography, Makara is represented as the vahana ('vehicle') of Ganga, the river goddess. A row of makara may run along the wall of a Hindu temple, act as the hand rail of a staircase, or form an arch above a doorway. The leading Hindu temple architect and builder Ganapati Sthapati describes Makara as a mythical animal with the body of a fish, trunk of an elephant, feet of a lion, eyes of a monkey, ears of a pig, and the tail of a peacock. A more succinct explanation"
"Haridra Ganapati Haridra Ganapati (, , literally ""turmeric Ganesha"") is an aspect of the Hindu god Ganesha (Ganapati). Haridra Ganapati is also known as Ratri Ganapati. Haridra Ganapati is depicted as yellow like turmeric and wears yellow garments. He is one of the most popular thirty-two forms of Ganesha. The iconographical treatises ""Niyotsava"" and the ""Mantra-maharnava"" have similar descriptions of Haridra Ganapati. He is described as having three eyes. He sits on a golden throne. He is yellow-complexioned like turmeric and also wears yellow clothes. He has four arms and carries a ""pasha"" (noose), an ""ankusha"" (elephant goad), a ""modaka"""
"horns may derive from partly goat hybrids (as in Pan and the Devil in Christian iconography) or as partly bull hybrids (Minotaur). The Gundestrup cauldron and the Pashupati figure have stag's antlers (see also Horned God, horned helmet). The Christian representation of Moses with horns, however, is due to a mistranslation of the Hebrew text of Exodus 34:29–35 by Jerome. The most prominent hybrid in Hindu iconography is elephant-headed Ganesha, god of wisdom, knowledge and new beginnings. Both Nāga and Garuda are non-hybrid mythical animals (snake and bird, respectively) in their early attestations, but become partly human hybrids in later"
"Naigamesha Naigamesha (, ), also known as Harinegameshi, is a goat-headed or deer-headed deity, associated with children. He also appears in Jain as well as Hindu traditions, associated with the war-god Kartikeya and childbirth. Naigamesha is known by a variety of names: Negamesha, Nemesha, Naigameshin, Negamesi, Harinegameshi. The last is translated as ""Negamesi, the general of Hari (Indra)"". Another interpretation says that it is derived from ""harina"" (deer) and ""mesha"" (ram). Naigamesha is the benefactor and protector of children in Jainism. While the Greek satyr Pan is depicted with the lower body of a goat, Naigamesha has a goat head;"
"Chandela kingdom in the 10th century. The Trailokyamohana form of Vishnu was worshipped in Gujarat between 12th to 15th century CE. Vaikuntha Chaturmurti Vaikuntha Chaturmurti or Vaikuntha Vishnu is a four-headed aspect of the Hindu god Vishnu, mostly found in Kashmir (northern part of the Indian subcontinent). The icon represents Vishnu as the Supreme Being. He has a human head, a lion head, a boar head and a demonic head. Sometimes, even three-headed aspects of Vishnu where the demonic rear head is dropped are considered to represent Vaikuntha Chaturmurti. Though iconographical treatises describe him to eight-armed, he is often depicted"
"Vinayaki Vināyakī is an elephant-headed Hindu goddess. Her mythology and iconography are not clearly defined. Little is told about her in Hindu scriptures and very few images of this deity exist. Due to her elephantine features, the goddess is generally associated with the elephant-headed god of wisdom, Ganesha. She does not have a consistent name and is known by various names — Stri Ganesha (""female Ganesha""), Vainayaki, Gajananā (""elephant-faced""), Vighneshvari (""Mistress of obstacles"") and Ganeshani, all of them being feminine forms of Ganesha’s epithets Vinayaka, Gajanana, Vighneshvara and Ganesha itself. These identifications have resulted in her being assumed as the"
"festivals associated with Ganesha: Ganesh Chaturthi and Ganesh Jayanti. In addition, a five-day festival starting on Kartik Poornima is also celebrated when the ""Deepamala""s are lit. Vigneshwara Temple, Ozar The Vigneshwara Temple or Vighnahar Ganapati Temple of Ozar (also spelt as Ojhar or Ojzar) is a Hindu temple dedicated to Ganesha, the elephant-headed god of wisdom. The temple is one of the Ashtavinayaka, the eight revered shrines of Ganesha in Maharashtra, India. The Ganesha form worshipped here is called Vigneshwara (spelt also as Vigneshvar(a), Vigneshwar : ""Lord of obstacles"") or ""Vignahar"" (spelt also as Vignahara, ""Remover of obstacles"") and is"
"heads symbolize his power. He should be golden yellow in colour. Sometimes, he is described to be white in complexion. Heramba rides his ""vahana"", a mighty lion. The lion, represents the deity's royalty and fierce nature. The lion is said to be inherited from his mother Parvati, who often rides it. Though the lion primarily appears as the vahana of this aspect, Dinka, the usual vahana of Ganesha - a rat or a mouse - may also be included in the depiction. In an 11th–13th-century depiction in Odisha, Dinka the rat is depicted on a pedestal besides the seated Heramba."
"the child ""Bhagiratha"" – he who was born from two vulvas (""bhaga""). Bhagiratha later became one of the most famous kings of India and is credited with bringing the Ganges River down to earth through his austerities. The elephant-headed, wisdom god Ganesha's conception has numerous versions. Some sources consider him to be the progeny of Shiva and Parvati, although conception occurs outside the womb. However, most versions consider him to have been produced purely through the actions of Parvati, who in the ""Shiva Purana"" fashioned him from clay. However, when Ganesha blocks Shiva, he is beheaded and later restored to"
"Gajasimha The gajasimha or gajasiha (from / ) is a mythical hybrid animal in Hindu mythology, appearing as a ""sinha"" or ""rajasiha"" (mythical lion) with the head or trunk of an elephant. It is found as a motif in Indian and Sinhalese art, and is used as a heraldic symbol in some Southeast Asian countries, especially Cambodia and Thailand. In Siam (pre-modern Thailand), the ""gajasimha"" served as the symbol of the ""kalahom"", one of the king's two chief chancellors. It appears as a supporter in the coat of arms of Siam, in use from 1873 to 1910, and the royal"
"directly by Shiva's laughter. Because Shiva considered Ganesha too alluring, he gave him the head of an elephant and a protruding belly. Ganesha's earliest name was ""Ekadanta"" (One Tusked), referring to his single whole tusk, the other being broken. Some of the earliest images of Ganesha show him holding his broken tusk. The importance of this distinctive feature is reflected in the ""Mudgala Purana"", which states that the name of Ganesha's second incarnation is Ekadanta. Ganesha's protruding belly appears as a distinctive attribute in his earliest statuary, which dates to the Gupta period (4th to 6th centuries). This feature is"
"Siddhivinayak Temple, Siddhatek The Siddhivinayak Temple of Siddhatek is a Hindu temple dedicated to Ganesha, the elephant-headed god of wisdom. The temple is one of the Ashtavinayaka, the eight revered shrines of Ganesha in the Indian state of Maharashtra and the only Ashtavinayaka shrine in Ahmednagar district. The temple is located on the northern bank of the river Bhima in Siddhatek in the Karjat taluka of Ahmednagar district. The nearest station is Daund (19 km). The temple is accessible from the small village of Shirapur in Pune district, on the southern bank of the river, from where it can be"
"spiritual wisdom; comparative analysis yields benefit, though knowledge and understanding is not served by collapsing their qualities into homogenous signification. These correspondences are not always consistent. Ganesh, for example, is sometimes shown with a peacock as his vehicle, although a peacock is the customary vehicle of his brother Kartikeya (also known as Murugan, Subramanya, Skanda and other names) as well as the vehicle sometimes associated with the goddess Saraswati. Even more rarely, the elephant-headed Ganesh may be seen riding another elephant, or a lion, or a many-headed serpent. As the ""vahana"", the mount or vehicle of a deity, serves the"
"standard form in some iconographic texts. His earliest images had two arms. Forms with 14 and 20 arms appeared in Central India during the 9th and the 10th centuries. The serpent is a common feature in Ganesha iconography and appears in many forms. According to the ""Ganesha Purana"", Ganesha wrapped the serpent Vasuki around his neck. Other depictions of snakes include use as a sacred thread (IAST: "") wrapped around the stomach as a belt, held in a hand, coiled at the ankles, or as a throne. Upon Ganesha's forehead may be a third eye or the sectarian mark (IAST:"
"Pashupati seal The Pashupati Seal is a steatite seal that was discovered at the Mohenjo-daro archaeological site of the Indus Valley Civilization. The seal depicts a seated figure that is possibly tricephalic (having three heads). It was once thought to be ithyphallic, an interpretation that is now mostly discarded. The man has a horned headdress and is surrounded by animals. He may represent a horned deity. It is purported to be one of the earliest depictions of the Hindu god Shiva (""Pashupati"", meaning ""lord of animals"", is one of Shiva's epithets) or Rudra, who is associated with asceticism, yoga, and"
"the flower given by Sage Durvasa. Lord Vishnu cut off the head of the elephant by using the Sudarsana-chakra. Lord Vishnu then brought the dead elephant to life and it was restored to Lord Indra. Lord Vishnu then lifted the elephant head which had been cut off and had special powers. He came back and joined the trunk of the elephant to the body of Lord Ganesha using his divine knowledge and brought the child back to life. Understanding the story The Brahmavaivarat Purana states that Lord Ganesha is an ansh (manifestation) of the supreme consciousness. It was destined for"
"Vaikuntha Chaturmurti Vaikuntha Chaturmurti or Vaikuntha Vishnu is a four-headed aspect of the Hindu god Vishnu, mostly found in Kashmir (northern part of the Indian subcontinent). The icon represents Vishnu as the Supreme Being. He has a human head, a lion head, a boar head and a demonic head. Sometimes, even three-headed aspects of Vishnu where the demonic rear head is dropped are considered to represent Vaikuntha Chaturmurti. Though iconographical treatises describe him to eight-armed, he is often depicted with four. Generally, Vaikuntha Chaturmurti is shown standing but sometimes he is depicted seated on his ""vahana"" (mount) Garuda. The concept"
"The gajasimha is a mythical animal with the body of a lion and the head of an elephant. At Angkor, it is portrayed as a guardian of temples and as a mount for some warriors. The gajasimha may be found at Banteay Srei and at the temples belonging to the Roluos group. The reachisey is another mythical animal, similar to the gajasimha, with the head of a lion, a short elephantine trunk, and the scaly body of a dragon. It occurs at Angkor Wat in the epic bas reliefs of the outer gallery. Garuda is a divine being that is"
"has a human figure at the center seated on a platform and the human figure is surrounded by four wild animals: an elephant and a tiger to its one side, and a water buffalo and a rhinoceros on the other. Rhinoceros is Vahana of Hindu Goddess Dhavdi. There is a temple dedicated to Maa (Mother) Dhavdi in Dhrangadhra, Gujarat. Many the mythological stories e.g. a boy named Rishyasringa with the horns of a deer, Karkadann, unicorn etc. may be inspired by Indian Rhinoceros. The Assam state of India uses the one-horned rhino as its official state animal. It is also"
"Red Jambhala is: Some people believe he is the Hindu God of Wealth Ganesha, the Red Ganapati, and has the head of an elephant. After the rise of Tantric Buddhism, Ganesha became a Tantric wealth deity and is known as the ""Lord of Provisions in Tibetan Tantrism"". According to legend, Red Jambhala was in charge of the heavenly treasury that belonged to Lord Mahesvara’s son. Due to his extreme compassion, Red Jambhala had unfailingly answered the prayers of many worshippers. Enraged by Red Jambhala’s indiscriminate charity to both the good and evil, Dharma guardian Mahakala decapitated him. It was only"
"on the Kantaka Cethiya Vaahalkada is the elephant headed God with two arms. The ""Saivites"" call it ""Ganapati"" or ""Ganeesaa"". The Ganapati sculptures in the Vaahalkadas of the Kantaka Cetiya have created confusion among the archaeologists and historians. No one could not explain the connection between ""Ganapati God"" and ""Buddhism."" Thus, the Sinhalese historians and archaeologists have tried to give some imaginary interpretation. The four vahaalkadas facing the four cardinal points have different animals on the top of the square pillars - the elephant on the east, the lion on the north, the horse on the west and the bull"
"Vigneshwara Temple, Ozar The Vigneshwara Temple or Vighnahar Ganapati Temple of Ozar (also spelt as Ojhar or Ojzar) is a Hindu temple dedicated to Ganesha, the elephant-headed god of wisdom. The temple is one of the Ashtavinayaka, the eight revered shrines of Ganesha in Maharashtra, India. The Ganesha form worshipped here is called Vigneshwara (spelt also as Vigneshvar(a), Vigneshwar : ""Lord of obstacles"") or ""Vignahar"" (spelt also as Vignahara, ""Remover of obstacles"") and is associated with the legend of Ganesha defeating Vignasura, the demon of obstacles. Ozar is located about 85 km from Pune, off the Pune-Nashik highway and about"
"Siddhivinayak Mahaganapati Temple The Siddhivinayaka Mahaganapati Temple is a Hindu temple located in Titwala, a small town in the Kalyan taluka of Thane district – near Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu, elephant-headed god of wisdom Ganesha. Titwala is believed to be the putative site of the hermitage of sage Kanva, foster parent of Shakuntala who was born here. The place is steeped in ancient legend and the temple is frequented by a very large number of devotees on account of the belief that separated married couples could be united and marriages of desired people could"
"and rakshasa) may be depicted with multiple heads. The demon-king Ravana is depicted with ten heads; while his son Trishira with three heads. Animal races in Hindu mythology like Nāgas (serpents) may have multiple heads. The Naga Shesha is depicted with five or seven hoods, but said to have infinite hoods. Uchchaihshravas is a celestial seven-headed horse. The divine white elephant Airavata is depicted with multiple heads, trunks and tusks. The Talmud (Brachot 61a) says that originally Adam was created as a single body with two faces (which were then separated into two bodies - male (Adam) & female (Eve))."